The present invention generally relates to a system and a method for obtaining, transmitting and/or providing freight transportation information. More specifically, the present invention relates to a system and a method which obtain real time information, such as, for example, a total weight of a truck and a trailer, a per axle weight, an air pressure of tires, measurement of brake wear, a location of the truck and the trailer, and/or engine measurements.
Goods transported for commercial gain, also known as “freight,” may be transported by a truck. Typically, the freight is loaded into a trailer which is connected to the truck. The primary focus of the driver is avoiding collision of the truck and the trailer with another moving object or a stationary object.
However, the maneuverability of a truck-trailer combination may be compromised by the size and the weight of the truck-trailer combination. For example, the length of the trailer typically creates difficulty in viewing areas proximate to the trailer and determining the location of the back of the trailer. In addition, the truck-trailer combination may have a complex design which causes a variety of factors to affect maneuverability; for example, the truck-trailer combination may have several axles, more than one trailer, differently sized containers within the trailer, and/or differently weighted containers within the trailer. Moreover, the difficulty involved in driving a truck-trailer combination is enhanced by the increased traffic congestion on roads, differences between trucks employed to move the freight, differences between trailers employed to move the freight, and deteriorating infrastructure of highways and bridges due to smaller government budgets.
In addition to driving the truck-trailer combination, the driver may be responsible for other tasks related to transporting the freight. For example, the driver may be required to stop at weigh stations periodically to ensure that the weight of the truck-trailer combination complies with state and federal regulations. As another example, the truck driver may need to check parameters related to operation of the truck-trailer combination, such as, for example, air pressure in the tires of the truck-trailer combination, measurement of brake wear of the truck-trailer combination, engine measurements, the organization of the freight in the trailer, and/or the like. As yet another example, the truck driver may be required to identify the location of the truck-trailer combination periodically so that the carrier service, the provider of the freight and/or the recipient of the freight are aware of the progress of the freight toward the destination. As yet another example, the truck driver may need to identify the most expedient route to the destination from a variety of possible routes and then periodically confirm that the truck-trailer combination stays on that route.
For safety and expedience of transport, it would be advantageous if the tasks of the truck driver which are additional relative to driving the truck-trailer combination may be performed automatically without expenditure of time or effort of the truck driver.